Bible Strands
Acts 19:14
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative identifies seven brothers attempting the same exorcism formula described in the preceding verse, during the active clash between itinerant Jewish exorcists and unclean spirits in Ephesus.
The words — ἑπτὰ (hepta) = seven, and ἀρχιερέως (archiereōs) = high priest, anchoring the scene in a specific familial lineage and the recognized religious hierarchy of the period.
The thread — This episode continues the Acts 19:13-16 sequence, while the title ἀρχιερεύς recurs in Luke 3:2 and Acts 4:6 to mark official Jewish leadership, and the number seven signals completeness in Revelation 1:4.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to observe that inherited religious status and formulaic speech cannot generate power, and that invoking Jesus without recognized authority yields only exposure.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.